Control device for the automatic pilotage of airplanes



R. ANNEN June 19, 1945. I

CONTROL DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC PILOTAGE OF AIRPLANES Fild Jan. 9, 1942 RI WIN LU ilwaziaz' 72/71/610 7''! 1 I ZmX .QWMI

Patented June 19, 1945 CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC PILOTAGE OF AIRPLAN ES Robert Annen, Bienne, Switzerland Application January 9, 1942, Serial No. 426,235 In Switzerland November 5, 1940 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a control device for the automatic pilotage of flying machines, which is characterised in that it comprises a gyroscope wherein the relative movements of the component parts electrically influence the automatic piloting.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the following description proceeds, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawing, in which I Fig. 1 is an axial section through the axis of the gyroscope,

Fig. 2 is a side view and Fig. 3 a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a polyhedral mirror used in th illustrated example.

The yroscopic device shown in section in Fig. 1, certain details of which are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a box 4 in which a gyrc' rotor rotates, being supported by a Cardan joint on a casing 35 intended to be fixed to an airplane body by non-represented means and having an extension H. The Cardan joint is formed by the outer ring 3 and the box 4. On the extension I! a head 36 is adjustably mounted, whose perfectly polished surfaces 31, 38 constitute a polyhedral mirror. The surfaces 31 are arranged slantwise with regard to the surface 38 which is perpendicular t0 the axis of the extension ll.

On the cap 39, an optical device is mounted, comprising a cylinder 40 in which a piston 4| lengthened towards the bottom by a hollow rod 42, is moved. At the upper end of the cylinder an electric lamp 43 is provided whose rays are led into the opening of the tube 42 by a condenser 44. Four photo-electric cells 45 mutually displaced by 90 are provided in the sloping parts of the cap 39 and are electrically connected, by nonrepresented wires, with an amplifier set permitting the current produced in these photo-electric cells, when they receive the luminous rays, to be utilised. In the represented position of the parts, when the piston is quite at the bottom and the axis of the extension I! is in line with the axis of the hollow rod 42, no luminous ray reaches the photo-electric cells 45. However, as soon as a relative movement between the casin 35 and the box 4 takes place, the position of the head 36 relatively to the tube 42 varies and the luminous beam coming from the lamp 43 falls onto the one or the other of the surfaces 31 and is reflected to the corresponding cell. Thi latter produces a current which may be utilized for the control of the piloting devices of the flyin machine. In order to put the tube 42 out of operation, compressed air is admitted under th piston 4|. 0n doing this, the lamp 43 is also extinguished. The tube then enters the interior of the cylinder 40.

What I claim is:

1. In a control device, a casing, a support within said casing mounted for movement with relation to said casing, said support including an extension, a polyhedral mirror on said extension, 2. cylinder on said casing, a piston in said cylinder, a tube atttached to said piston and adapted to project out of said cylinder, a source of light in said cylinder adapted to direct rays through said piston and. tube to illuminate said polyhedral mirror, and an electric means fixed to said casing comprising photoelectric cells adapted to receive the rays emitted by said source of light and refiected by said polyhedral mirror through said piston and tube on to said cells during said movement of said support relative to said casing.

2. In a control device according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder includes an opening to admit compressed air into said cylinder below said piston to move said tube into said cylinder.

3. In a control device for the automatic pilotage of flying machines, a casing, a support within said casing normally occupying a predetermined position with respect to said casing, and mounted for movement with relation thereto, said support having an extension on its vertical axis, a polyhedral mirror on said extension, means for projecting a beam of light in the direction of said polyhedral mirror, and photo-electric means supported by said casing to receive the beam of light reflected by said mirror only when said support is moved out of said normal position.

4. In a control device for the automatic pilotage of flying machines, a casing, a support within said casing normally occupying a predetermined position with respect to said casing and mounted for movement with relation thereto, said support having an extension on its vertical axis, a reflecting,

said casing to receiv the beam of light reflected by one of said reflecting surfaces only when said support is moved out of said normal position.

5. In a control device for the automatic pilotage of flying machines, a casing, a support within said casing normally occupying a predetermined position with respect to said casing and mounted for movement with relation thereto, said support having an extension on its vertical axis, a reflecting member on said extension having a plurality of reflecting surfaces arranged at an inclination to the axis of said extension, means for projecting a beam of light in the direction of said reflecting member, and photo-electric means supported by said casing to receive the beam of light reflected by one of said reflecting surfaces only when said support is moved out of said normal position, the terminal surface of said reflecting member being disposed perpendicularly to the axis of said extension.

6. In a control device for the automatic pilotage of flying machines, a casing, a support within said casing normally occupying a predetermined position with respect to said casing and mounted for movement with relation thereto, said support having an extension on its vertical axis, a reflecting member on said extension havin a plurality of reflecting surfaces, means for projecting a beam of light in the direction of said reflecting member, and a plurality of photo-electric devices supported in said casing symmetrically with respect to the axi of said extension to receive the beam of light reflected by said reflecting surfaces only when said support is moved out of said normal position.

ROBERT ANNEN. 

